During the winter months, you can glide along on ice skates at a number of outdoor rinks.   People of all ages participate in ice skating, even though the majority of ice skaters are children and teens.  Very young children can give ice skating a try; some parents get their children on the ice as soon as they are able to walk. Many ice arenas offer tot ice skating lessons or "Parent and Me" ice skating classes. Introduce very young children to skating at a roller skating rink where toddlers and preschoolers can walk on locked roller skate wheels. Children don't get wet or cold in roller skating rinks and usually don't cry even when they fall while roller skating. Once a child can roll around on roller skates, the transition to ice skates comes easily.

Bundle up with warm clothes.  Wearing layers will also cushion your fall. Mittens or gloves are necessary. Helmets are recommended for beginning skaters.  Skates can be rented at the rink.  

Recreational ice skating burns more than 250 calories per hour.

Enjoy the crisp cool winter air and the ambiance of the season while skating outdoors at these rinks:

• Syosset-Woodbury Community Park 
  7800 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset  (516) 677-5990 
• Marjorie R. Post Community Park   
  Unqua and Merrick Road, Massapequa (516) 797-7990
• The Rinx @ Harborfront Park  
  101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson  (631) 403-4357
• Tanger Outlets at The Arches
  152 The Arches Circle, Deer Park  (631) 667-0600
• RXR Ice Skating Rink  
  625 RXR Plaza, Uniondale  (516) 357-0049
• Christopher Morley Park  
  500 Searingtown Road, Roslyn (516) 571-8113
• Grant Park   
  Broadway at Sheridan Avenue, Hewlett (516) 571-7821
• Greenport Mitchell Park 
  115 Front Street, Greenport  (631) 477-2200 ext. 2